From what I have seen already Div 1 Sunday - Downs then daylight to runner up.Some very handy ins that are lightning quick and quality to compliment their experience.The young lad out on the left is an absolute gun.Surely at his age he should/could be playing higher ??

From what I have seen already Div 1 Sunday - Downs then daylight to runner up.Some very handy ins that are lightning quick and quality to compliment their experience.The young lad out on the left is an absolute gun.Surely at his age he should/could be playing higher ??

From what I have seen already Div 1 Sunday - Downs then daylight to runner up.Some very handy ins that are lightning quick and quality to compliment their experience.The young lad out on the left is an absolute gun.Surely at his age he should/could be playing higher ??

Lots of good young talent down there at the moment - more teenagers than those over 25.

On Sunday April 7th the SAASL Sunday Premier League will commence with League Champions Elizabeth Downs looking for a 3rd successive title. The Maroons clinched the 2018 title on the last day and will be looking to be the first team since the Elizabeth Vale teams of 96,97 and 98 to win three in a row. With the Downs favourites for the title who are the contenders? 2016 Champions and 2018 Runners Up, Brahma Lodge, seem the main challenger with quality players such Chad Bugeja, Robbie MacDonald and Michael Mullen the keys to a title push. Most believe the title is between those two but Elizabeth Vale under new coach Steve Cook have put together a squad that will be tough to beat while Parafield Gardens and Para Hills West will be looking for further improvements on fine 2018 seasons. Ingle Farm went within 90 minutes of a famous league championship last season before finishing 3rd but they will find life tougher with a vastly different squad and new coach. The two new boys Ghan Kilburn City and Pontian Eagles both look like they are capable of mixing it at this level. Tea Tree Gully will be hoping to get away from the relegation dog fight while the record holding 11-time league winners Salisbury Inter appear to have the challenge of survival very much at their feet.

One thing for sure is that it will be another exciting season so get out and support your team.

Club Comment- Steve Hughes “We accept that we are the hunted and that every team will be looking to beat the Downs. Last season was a successful one, but we are really keen to improve on that this season.”

Key Player- Cody Morrison- Steve Hughes “Cody has been setting the standard in the pre-season and has so much potential. I’m excited to see what he can do this season.”

Prediction- Champions- Hard to go past the Downs completing the three-peat of League Championships. An abundance of young talent has come in from federation clubs which will further improve the Maroons depth. An area of concern maybe trying to cover for Matt Wise who has been a rock in the Champions defense in recent seasons. The team to beat!

Prediction- Runners Up- Brahma fell just two points short of the championship in 2018, the question is are they a better team in 2019? There is no doubt that Brahma’s best 11 can compete with anyone the question is do they have the depth to compete for 18 rounds? Having taken only one point from their two games against Elizabeth Downs in 2018 you can mark down the clashes in round 2 and 11 as vital to title hopes.

Coach Comment- “It will be a real challenge with so many players having left the club, but I’m encouraged by what I’ve seen in the preseason. I’m looking for us to play with consistency and our goal will be to perform well week in week out.”

Key Player- James Parker/ Liam Mulvaney- Dean Lawrence “Both of these guys are experienced players who will be keys for us this season.”

Prediction- 8th- Farm came within a whisker of winning the 2018 League Championship but the off season has seen a number of departures including long time coach Paul Simpson. Simpson’s assistant over recent years Dean Lawrence has taken over the reins and while Farm are sure to be competitive, they may fall into the bottom half of the table.

Coach Comment- “We are looking to become more consistent and will be looking to narrow the gap on the top 3. We have a decent squad and have added some strength to our defence with Tom Stoneham coming on board.”

Key Player- Aaron Taye & Connor O’Donnell- John McCormack “Aaron gives us a bit of X-Factor as an attacking midfielder and we are really excited about Connor who we see as a quality striker.”

Prediction- 5th The Gardens squad has changed quite significantly in the off season and while some talent has certainly come into the club the likes of Martini, Wiedenbach and Callum Ebert have all departed and they will be tough to cover. Gardens are capable of beating anyone on their day, but the question remains on whether they can be consistent week in week out.

Para Hills West Coach- Michael Iacovino Last Season- 5th

Players In- Jarred Noel (Ingle Farm), Matthew Wallace (State League)

Players Out- Brodie Bampton (Work)

Coach Comment- “after a really good first season back in the top flight we are looking to push closer to a top three finish. We have kept our squad together and have made a couple of quality additions, so we are really looking forward to the season ahead.”

Key Player- Tom Foglia, Luke Air, Jarred Ebert

Prediction- 4th Westies surprised many in 2018 with a top half of the table finish and the addition of Jarred Noel can only improve the squad. Tom Foglia will again be a key for Westies and if he stays fit then Michael Iacovino’s team can continue their rise.

Club Comment- “We are looking to be competitive and to show pride in the shirt.”

Key Player- Look for a complete team effort

Prediction- 10th It’s been a tough off season for this proud club. Coach Steve Cook has moved on and there has been a mass departure of players. While the club are actively seeking replacements, it looks like being a massive battle for survival in 2019. New coach Steve Melling will do his best to garner a squad that will do a club like Inter justice.

Coach Comment- “I’m excited for the season ahead. The Vale are a big club with a big tradition in the Sunday Premier Division. We are targeting a top 4 finish and a good cup run.”

Key Player- Jimmy Greaves & Mark Burbridge – Steve Cook “Jimmy is returning to the Vale and he will be a pivotal player for us this season while I’ve always been impressed by Mark Burbridge, he’s a real player so hopefully he can stay injury free and have a good year.”

Prediction- 3rd After years of mid table finishes the five-time League Champions Elizabeth Vale look to have a squad that can now compete at the top end of the table. The Vale of the last few seasons have shown great battling qualities but with the addition of some quality recruits and former title winning Coach Steve Cook, they appear ready to make a move into the top 3.

Coach’s Comment- “We are targeting consolidation in the league and pushing into the top half of the table. We want to get away from the survival mentality and look to take ourselves to another level.”

Key Player- Liam Crook/Ben Burleigh – Barry Crook “Our captain and vice-captain will be crucial in leading the way. Rhys Devlin is also a key player for us.”

Prediction- 9th Gully managed to survive on the last day of 2019 and despite the arrival of experienced coach Barry Crook it looks like it may be another year where survival will be a good result. Gully play some good football but have struggled to turn that into points, with Crook on board it will be interesting to see if Gully can take the next step.

Coach Comment- “We will try our best in a very difficult division. We have a good young squad who play good football and our preseason results have been good, so the boys are looking forward to the season.

Key Player- Jamil Danesh “He is an exciting young striker who scored a hat trick in our 4-2 win over Mount Barker in the FFA Cup, so we are looking forward to seeing him continue to improve throughout the year.” Coach Rahim Shah Zaidi.

Prediction- 6th Ghan Kilburn make their first appearance in the Sunday Premier league having won the 2nd Division Championship. They are among a group of five clubs that you feel will be battling for places and as always with promoted clubs it will be vital that they start the season well. Expect this team to play good football and entertain. Will be interesting to see how they cope with the physicality in the top flight.

Coach Comment- “We know it’s a big challenge in the top division and it will be really important that we find our feet quickly. The boys are looking forward to the season.”

Key Player- Isikia Savua & Alex Cosmidis- Jack Mantzarapis “Both of these lads are quality players. Their experience will be a key for us this season.”Prediction- 7th Pontians return to the Sunday Premier league and preseason results seem to suggest there is reason for optimism. Normally a promoted club just looks at survival and while that’s sure to be their 1st goal the Jack Mantzarapis led team may well push for a top half finish.

From what I have seen already Div 1 Sunday - Downs then daylight to runner up.Some very handy ins that are lightning quick and quality to compliment their experience.The young lad out on the left is an absolute gun.Surely at his age he should/could be playing higher ??

maybe James Oldenwalder, the politician Lee Oldenwalders lad was at Raiders

Who is online

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum